Preseason: 6 Buffalo Bills That Got Away

As the 2011 season nears and the Bills must drop their roster from 80 to 53 players, big time questions loom. Who will stay? Who will go? Does it all hinge on this last pre-season game?

As we look ahead, we know that some surprising players will make the team, perhaps earning a spot on Thursday night, but we also know that some guys we're expecting to play might not be with the team come Week 1.

Looking back, Buffalo fans know all too well that some players should still be with the Bills.

Fellow B/R writer Thomas Louis, went to great lengths to discuss the down fall of the Bills back in May. He looked at some of the painstakingly boneheaded decisions that have crippled this franchise over the past decade.

Based on his assessment, there has been, poor strategy, bad luck and a whole bunch of other factors contributing to their downfall.

Perhaps this stands to beg for a new adage: "You have to be bad, to be unlucky and unlucky to be bad."

Whatever the case may be, this article will look at some impact players that the Bills have let go over the past 10 years (either by trade, failure to re-sign or release). 

After watching veteran Lee Evans get traded away for a basket of wonder-bread, here is to hoping possibly against hope that this trend will not continue.

This list will examine several former Bills; some noteworthy exceptions were considered but not included in the final compilation; (Marshawn Lynch, Nate Clements, Rueben Brown). 

For a variety of reasons, many of these players became agitated with Bills' management and decided they needed to get out of Buffalo; sometimes the Bills made the decision for them.

Like it or not, things have gotten so bad football-wise in Buffalo that guys have decided to retire to pursue other avenues due to their interest in football being killed (Aaron Schobel and Brad Butler).

What other franchise can boast that claim, "we kill the love of football out of our players."

RB Willis McGahee (2003-2006)

Snapshot: After Bills: 1x Pro Bowler. Would he start for Bills today? Likely.

While some fans would argue against keeping McGahee on the team, especially after his famous suggestion that the Bills move to Toronto, it is hard to argue that McGahee would be a quality contributor for the Bills team today, as he was for the several seasons he was here.

In 2004, when McGahee ran for over 90 yards, the Bills won eight games. In the games he failed to rush for over 90 the Bills were 1-7.  

By 2006, however, McGahee had his worst season as a pro and rushed for only 990 yards. The Bills were also only 2-2 when McGahee went over 90 yards rushing.

It stands to reason that though McGahee was used much more than current Bills starter Fred Jackson, he would be pushing for major playing time based on his ability to find the end zone.

While Jackson boasts a higher ypc average (4.4 to 4.0 career) McGahee's lowest single season touchdown output is five, while that would be a career high for Fred Jackson. 

ILB Takeo Spikes (2003-2006)

Snapshot: After Bills, no Pro Bowls, but solid starting play for three teams. Would he start for Bills today? Yes. 

After being a stud and borderline superstar for several years in Cincinnati, Spikes came over to Buffalo much to the approval of Bills Nation.

This was one of the few times a top-tier player in their prime would chose Buffalo as their destination.

Spikes did not disappoint in his first two seasons, however his last two seasons would find Spikes visiting the trainer more than opposing ball-carriers.

He was jettisoned in a youth movement back in 2007. This probably leaves Bills fans asking what the heck is going on, we were getting rid of veterans less than five years ago as we moved towards a youth movement?

Well needless to say, Spikes has rebounded quite nicely, finding starting gigs in Philadelphia, San Francisco and San Diego.

With the 3-4 defense the Bills currently run, Spikes would surely fit in and likely start at one of the inside linebacker spots.

ILB London Fletcher-Baker (2002-2006)

Snapshot: After Bills:2 X Pro Bowler. Would he start for Bills today? Possibly, battling Spikes and Barnett.

For a long time, London Fletcher-Baker had the dubious distinction of being tabbed the Susan Lucci of the Pro Bowl. He was always deemed good but not good enough.

This lack of respect transferred over to the Bills, as they were unwilling to take a gamble on keeping him around any longer due to his advancing age and diminutive size.

While short, London has found a way to make an impact at inside linebacker in both 4-3 and 3-4 schemes.

Simply put the guy is a playmaker. Smart teams keep productive healthy players, even ones advancing in age.

Just to throw some numbers around. I will compare London Fletcher, a player I believe to be a franchise type middle linebacker, with the perhaps the greatest middle linebacker of all time. Ravens living legend Ray Lewis.

But first let me ask a question: If Buffalo had Ray Lewis, would they get rid of him? Well let's look at what Buffalo got rid of:

Ray Lewis	Total Tackles since 2001 (1184)	Regular Season Games Played (134)	Tackles Per Game 8.8
London Fletcher	Total Tackles since 2001 (1380)	Regular Season Games Played (160)	Tackles per game (8.6)

The numbers are tracked back from 2001, since that is the first year that the NFL officially tracked tackle statistics.

Also, since 2001, Fletcher has not missed a start, although he did miss out on some Pro Bowls and Madden covers that Lewis ended up in and on.

I wonder if we took a league study of GM's and asked if they would be willing to keep a guy around who rivaled Ray Lewis in production.

By the way, since he entered the league, he has half a sack more (32.5) than Ray Lewis over the same period of time and has the exact same amount of forced fumbles (14). This kind of makes you just shake your head.

NT Pat Williams (1997-2004)

Snapshot: After Bills: 3x Pro Bowler. Would he start for Bills today? Possibly, although a 3-4 is not his best suited defense.

The Bills have a remarkable habit of finding undrafted free agents (like Williams and Jason Peters), polishing them up for a few seasons, and then trading them or letting them walk just as they get into the prime of their career.

These diamonds in the rough have to make Bills fans a little sad, as the team failed to sign these players long-term.

The jumbo defensive lineman, no doubt, would have added the beef needed to help Buffalo plug up the running sieve that was their run defense last season.

Now, while it is quite possible that Williams would be on the bench backing up superstar Kyle Williams, one can't help but wonder what it would be like having Williams rotate in frequently to battle in this tough division.

LT Jason Peters (2004-2008)

Snapshot: After Bills 2x Pro Bowler. Would he start for the Bills today? Are you kidding me, of course.

This one is perhaps the most painful, and I am sure Ryan Fitzpatrick knows what I mean.

Peters played for peanuts, which was understandable after the Bills had originally signed him as an undrafted free-agent and developed him.

But after two Pro Bowl seasons at left tackle, yes two, it was time for the Bills to pay up. For some reason they didn't think so and decided to throw big money at future non-pros Langston Walker and Derrick Dockery instead of their franchise left tackle.

What team in the NFL does this? Are there any teams trading franchise left tackles rather than paying them? Hello?

Lets recap: Jonathan Ogden, Walter Jones, Joe Thomas, Orlando Pace, Jake Long, even Ryan Clady; do you hear those guys coming up in trade rumors, or did you ever when they did play at a high level? No.

But the Bills traded Peters in his prime for a marginal starter (the pick that became Eric Wood), a brittle tight end (4th Round Pick Shawn Nelson) and a situational pass-rusher (Danny Batten).

But let's move on. 

CB Antoine Winfield (1999-2003)

Snapshot: After Bills: 3 X Pro Bowler. Would he start for Bills today? Yes

Teams that are smart build through the draft. It's sad to say that for better or for worse, whether the Bills hit or miss on their first round picks, they don't keep them.

Since 1999, the only Bills first round pick to resign with the Bills past their rookie contract was Lee Evans, and well, he just got traded.

In fact, with the recent cut of 2009 first rounder Aaron Maybin, 12 former first round picks have left the team either just after their rookie contract came up or were traded prior to its completion.

It could be argued that the only former first round picks still on the roster (Leodis McKlevin, C.J. Spiller and Eric Wood) could also follow suit and be former-Bills.

I hope Marcell Dareus doesn't get encouraged to follow the trend as well.

Antoine Winfield however was the first in this long term trend and it is painful to see him knocking the snot out of wide-outs and making game changing plays for the Vikings rather than the Bills. 

Conclusions (1999-2011)

In the age of salary caps, it is standard practice that players will get away from their teams, good players and bad.

It is sad to see however, that Buffalo has let a lot of good players "take their talents elsewhere." Thank goodness that none of these players took their talents to south beach however.

Hopefully for Bills Nation, something will be done to make sure more of these difference making players stick around in Buffalo, especially with the upcoming cuts and trade season likely to be in full-swing.